The
Guardian UK called him The Man Who Can’t
Retire; the Telegraph thinks he’s The
Amazing Alexthat never rests, and
to the Old Trafford faithfuls, the Red devils, he’s on his feet always and never
tiring. He walked down the dugout in his usual gait and gallantry after every match,
taking his retirement with levity and cracking jokes about it. He spoke of his
health taking him through next season and beyond despite his age. Some never
believed his words: that he would continue to be in charge, while some believed in
him and his "magic wand" that had kept him on for a long time. He was
known to be particularly good with words and mind games. Alas, jaws are still gaped
and more jaws still continue to drop worldwide—the streets of Manchester, for
example, witnessed people who sighed, moaned and cried that the gum-chewer has finally
retired.

As a striker
during his playing days, Alex found it hard to command a regular shirt in the
team. After signing professionally with Dunfermeline in 1964, from an unsuccessful
time with St Johnstone, he later signed with his childhood team Rangers, scoring
an astonishing 45 goals in 51 games in the 1965-66 season. This was a breakthrough
year for him. Finally, he signed for Falkirk and Ayr, where he subsequently
retired in 1974 at the age of 32.

Despite been
very young when he retired from active football, he had the chance to move into
a managerial position. He was appointed part-time manager of East
Stirlinghsire. Later, he held reins from 1974-78 as manager of St Mirren. In 1979 he
was fired as the coach of St Mirren. His reputation as a top-flight manager
came to fore when he managed Aberdeen to a Super Cup, a League Cup, a European
Cup Winners’ Cup, three Scottish Premier League titles and four Scottish Cups,
over eight seasons, thus dismantling openly the Celtic-Rangers championship monopoly.

English club, Manchester United, was
an underdog without aspiration or title-challenge attitude when Ferguson took
over as the gaffer in November 1986. Though he had a rough patch early in the
1989-90 season, the Red devils bounced back later to win the FA Cup same year,
followed by winning the European Cup Winners’ Cup in 1991, the League Cup in
1992 and the prestigious English Premiership in 1993. Scottish manager became
the first to win a treble: the English Premier League, FA Cup and the European
Cup in the 1998-1999 season. Manchester United would go over to win three
consecutive Premier League titles, making it four in a row in five years.

United ruled the Premier League again
after winning three Premier League titles in straight sets from 2007-2009,
coupled with the European Cup and another icing added on the cake: the FIFA
Club World Cup in 2008, and then proceeded to win the League Cups back to back
in 2009-2010 . United ended their 2010 campaign on a ground-breaking note as
they won a record of 19 Premier League titles. No one can deny the fact that
the most successful manager in English football history bowed out in style
after winning a record 20th Premier League title in the 2012-2013 season.

Ferguson got married in 1966 to his wife, Cathy Holding, and
they are blessed with three sons; one of them a football manager.In 1999, he received the knighthood award bestowed on him by the Queen of England for his immense contribution to the
game of football. Ferguson received an Honorary Masters in 1998 and Honorary
Doctorate in Business Administration from the Manchester Metropolitan
University. His stories will be told, written and rewritten as long as football
holds a special place in the heart of its followers and ardent fans, for no one
can be compared to a man who exhibited the true spirit of the game in its glory
and gory

. . . . . . . . . . .

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Odunayo Iyiola.
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